‘I’m a mechanic

The online mechanic Scotty Kilmer has warned drivers to never plug a device into their vehicle’s onboard diagnostic (OBD) port, or else they could face serious issues.

The automotive influencer regularly posts videos to his TikTok and YouTube channels, giving motorists handy tips to save money and avoid breakdowns, including a warning noise that means you should sell your car immediately.

In one of his most recent videos, Scotty highlights the problems that can be caused by plugging a device into the OBD port in order to save money on insurance or fuel consumption.

He explained: “Now, I know that some insurance companies offer you a discount through insurance dongles, it plugs in the OBD port, so they can get the information from your car while you’re driving so if you drive safe and drive less miles you get cheaper insurance.

“But you should never use one of those. The OBD port is an on-board diagnostic port. It is made for diagnosing the vehicle to see where a problem is or to check if there’s a problem.”

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Whilst the OBD port is designed for mechanics to plug a diagnostic device into the car to find faults, drivers can plug a variety of other tools into the port.

One of the most common devices, promoted by insurance companies, monitors the way that motorists act behind the wheel, rewarding those who drive with care.

However cheaper or badly made devices may create electrical issues and, in some cases, permanently damage the vehicle’s computer system.

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Scotty added that he has experienced many motorists who experience problems when the device is plugged into the OBD port.

He said: “I’ve seen so many people say we took it to the dealer, and they couldn’t find out what’s wrong. Well, the dealer didn’t do it right because once they unplugged that device, it’s no longer interfering with the vehicle.

“They often will [create problems] and they’re insidious, sometimes they’ll work for months or even a year and then they’ll screw the whole system up.”

With over 72,000 views and 5,000 likes in the first day of the video being live, many motorists were interested in the tip.

One viewer commented: “When Mr Kilmer says not to do something, I listen, and he hasn’t been wrong yet.”

Another wrote: “Scotty’s right. I used to have an insurance dongle plugged into the OBD port. Once I disconnected it, the problems I had went away.”